Waffles drizzled with maple syrup for breakfast and frozen yogurt after every meal may appeal to many first-year students in the early weeks of their first semester at college, but could such eating habits signal the beginning of the fabled "Freshman 15"?
Studies suggest the transition to an unstructured college lifestyle and all-you-care-to-eat dining halls does in fact cause many freshmen to tack on a few pounds. But the good news is that 15 may be an exaggeration.
A recent Cornell University study found incoming college students gain an average of four pounds during the first 12 weeks of freshman year. Similar research at Tufts University found male students gained six pounds on average and women added four-and-a-half during their first year in college.
But a 2002 survey in the American Journal of College Health found only 59 percent of college students had gained any weight whatsoever during their freshman year and declared the Freshman 15 a "myth." Still, whether it's four pounds or 15, does this pattern exist at Brown?
As Brunonians settle into hectic and unpredictable schedules, experience increased exposure to alcohol and grow accustomed to late-night studying and food-fueled social activities, the extra weight can creep up - or on, according to Health Services Nutritionist Heather Bell.
However, Bell downplayed the magnitude of the problem, noting that many Brown students are sophisticated monitors of their nutrition and health.
"It's a typical phenomenon, but I'm not sure it's a huge crisis," Bell said. "You go through this transitional period of figuring out just how many 2 a.m. pizzas work for you."
As work piles up and procrastination sets in, food becomes an increasingly appealing distraction for some students, Bell said. "Students may think to themselves, 'I'm not supposed to be having a break now,' but it's always legitimate to have a snack," she said.
One junior who spoke on condition of anonymity said such late-night eating habits led her to head home after her first year at Brown with a little more than the Freshman 15.
Another junior who asked not to be named said her downfall came in the form of frequent trips to Ben & Jerry's for cookie dough ice cream during her first year.
Though the impact of the transition may sound like a "specter on the horizon" to anxious first-years, Bell reiterated that some sort of transitional period is normal. Moreover, significant weight gain can be prevented if students proactively make healthy dietary choices.
She suggests having meals or snacks every three to four hours, maintaining five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and boosting calcium and protein intake with milk or soy milk at mealtimes. Students should stay active, too - anything from jogging to Frisbee on the Main Green, Bell said.
Bell also recommends eating breakfast every day, but Cornell researcher David Levitsky, who specializes in obesity prevention and led Cornell's Freshman 15 study, might advise freshmen to approach breakfast with caution. All-you-can-eat breakfast and lunch accounted for 20 percent of subjects' total weight gain in his study.
His Cornell study also found only an extra 174 calories each day led to subjects' additional weight. That's about the same as an oatmeal butterscotch cookie at the Sharpe Refectory (158 calories) and a mere fraction of one serving of French toast (400 calories) at the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall.
But don't blame the dining halls, says Bell. Thanks to local produce at the salad bar and seasonal farmer's markets on Wriston Quad, "people can easily make health-enhancing choices," she said.
For his part, Daniel Hackney '10 said he's not the least bit worried about the Freshman 15. After a summer abroad and three years at boarding school, Hackney said he won't be fazed by the freedom of multiple desserts and flexible mealtimes.
"I've lived on my own, I'm used to not having any parental control, and I can take care of myself," he said.
For first-years who may be living away from home for the first time and struggle with the lifestyle transition, Bell said, "It's important not to panic and assume you are doomed."
